Last One Standing
by Penguinator27
Summary: First chapter of this work. Remus goes to Grimmauld Place. Story beginns at the end of OotP. Please review!


a/n: I haven't written anything for ff.net in about a year, which depresses me. But just as I finished OoP last night-- or rather, early this morning-- I had an idea for a story that I know I must write. Forgive me if I'm rusty, and I hope you enjoy. Kudos. ^_^  
  
MissMoony27......June 28, 2003......5:10 PM  
  
Last One Standing  
  
Remus Lupin watched with a slight grin on his prematurely aged face, as Harry Potter led his Muggle family out of King's Cross Station. When the young man could be seen no more through the oblivious crowds of Londinian Muggles, Remus let out a tired sigh of relief.  
"Well... I suppose that takes care of him for a while...." said Tonks, in a tone of finality.  
"Just for a while. Those Muggles are bent-- they'll leave him alone," Moody grunted in his hoarse voice.  
"When he wants to leave, though," Remus said quietly, turning to face his two Auror companions, "it will start all over again. We'll be seeing Harry before long...."  
"Yes, but before that, I should be heading back to the office. You too, Moody," suggested Tonks, obviously becoming annoyed with the incecant stares from a boy-- also with pink, spiky hair-- some five yards away.  
"You'll certainly be needed there, what with... well... everything," said Remus.  
"You take care, then. We'll be seeing you at headquarters next week," growled Moody.  
Both Moody and Tonks smiled at Remus, and suddenly Disapparated, leaving Remus quite alone in the train station full of Muggles whose eyes traveled right over him as if he were a ghost. He be gan to walk toward the exit, through the throngs of people.  
Once he reached the exit, Remus realized that he did not have any particular place to be. He would be meeting Dumbledore personaly late that night in the Leaky Cauldron to discuss the events of the past few days. But his day was utterly devoid of obligation, and he had no idea what to do with it. So, without thinking, he began to walk through the busy streets of London, thinking about his best friends, James Potter and Sirius Black.  
When Remus Lupin had come to his senses, he found himself just inside the doorway of number twelve, Grimauld Place. Kreacher was eiher hiding, sleeping, dead, or out of the house. The Weasley family was not in the house, either. Remus thought to himself that they must have gone to their own home, as the childeren surely missed it. The hose was full to the brim of silence-- of dead silence.  
He made his way to the basement kitchen, and found it quite clean. A note was on the table:  
  
To Whomever May Find this First,  
I have cleaned the kitchen only. There were only Sirius' dirty dishes in the sink.  
It seems that he was going to feed Buckbeak before he left, as there was a large bucket of dead rats on the table. I put it in the pantry, after having Aurthor  
take some up to the poor beast. Please tend to him.  
Molly Weasley  
  
As if on cue, a stamping noise was heard by Remus from an above floor that he supposed was Buckbeak was in need of food, and had heard the sound of footsteps from his enterance. Having retrieved the rat bucket from the pantry-- that had been covered by a canvas by Mrs. Weasly, who he remembered was not fond of being in close proximity to the dead and bloody rats-- he began to make his way up the unfortunately plentiful stairs to the third floor, where Buckbeak resided.  
After shutting the door behind him, Remus promptly bowed, requesting the creature's acceptance. The hippogriff preformed a one- legged bow, and emitted a soft crooning noise of affection and recognition. Noticing immediately the cause of Buckbeak's unusual acceptance gesture-- a bloody and bandaged front left knee-- Remus rushed to the scratched dresser in the dimly lighted room, on which rested a large roll of bandages and a list of simple healing spells written in Sirius' handwriting.  
The bandages on Buckbeak's leg were full of a stench and thoroughly saturated with blood. The skin beneath was void of feathers, and was pink with tinges of green. An infection gathered Remus. Or a Poison. Yes, that must have been it... a vile poison administered by Kreacher....  
Having rebandaged Buckbeak's leg and administered a healing spell that was not on the list, (to dry the wound,) the creature's lone caretaker served him his meal of bloody rats and refilled his bucket of water, which had been dry.  
As Remus decended the third floor. As he reached the second floor landing, a soft murmuring voice found his ears. 


End file.
